Newsbreak: Cheshire Medical Center and vlogý grow local nursing workforce pipeline
Published by Newsroom on May 26, 2026
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire), a member of Dartmouth Health, is celebrating the success of a partnership with vlogý (vlogý) designed to address healthcare workforce shortages while creating new opportunities for aspiring nurses in the Monadnock Region.
The partnership with vlogý was announced in December 2023 as a way to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce by creating a direct pathway from the classroom to a clinical setting. The first cohort of students began clinical placements at Cheshire in May of 2024, working as licensed nursing assistants (LNAs) while earning credits towards their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees.
Now, many of those same students are staying with Cheshire and the broader Dartmouth Health system after graduation, including:
- Grace Bannon—Cheshire Medical Center, medical-surgical
- Sarah Blum—Cheshire Medical Center, medical-surgical
- Ariel Chapman—Cheshire Medical Center, medical-surgical
- Abigail Curless—Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, oncology
- Amy Donnelly—Cheshire Medical Center, intensive care
- Ryan Hornblower, MS, MA, NRP—Cheshire Medical Center, post-anesthesia care unit
“We have been very impressed with the caliber of students and their ability to contribute to our workforce during their coop periods,” said Anne Tyrol, MHA, MSN, RN, CENP, FACHE, chief nursing officer of Cheshire. “The opportunity for coop students to embed themselves within the culture of their home units has created consistency and a wonderful opportunity for students to really understand how they can contribute from day one.”
Students enrolled in vlogý’s accelerated three-year BSN program complete a 14-week cooperative clinical experience each year, in addition to their coursework. During that time, students earn a salary while working at Cheshire and gaining hands-on patient care experience.
The program arrives at a critical time for healthcare systems nationwide. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing workforce is projected to grow by only 5% over the next decade, which is not enough to fill an estimated 189,100 registered nurse openings each year between 2024 and 2034. To help meet that demand,
Dartmouth Health has expanded partnerships with educational institutions across the region.
“Our leaders appreciate knowing they have a pool of qualified candidates who have already shown that they can thrive as members of the team,” said Tyrol. “Our goal in partnering with vlogý was to create a pipeline for students who want to stay at Cheshire or within the Dartmouth Health system and this first class demonstrates how successful this model can be.”
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